2:8human form. Christ’s appearance as a man was not an illusion. He revealed Himself through a complete and genuine human nature united with His divine nature in one Person, who is both human and divine.

he humbled himself. The language here is parallel to the phrase “made himself nothing” in v. 7. Each act occurs by the free exercise of Christ’s own will.

obedient. Submission to the Father’s will (Heb. 10:5–9) is more significant for the One who is equal with the Father (v. 6) than for anyone else. Paul’s words embrace Christ’s whole lifetime of obedience, while emphasizing that the supreme expression of obedience was His death.

a cross. The accent is on Christ’s willingness to suffer the most shameful and painful of deaths, rather than on the atoning significance of the event (cf. Rom. 3:21–26).